Toy cannon



w. L. NICOLS.

TOY CAN-NON. APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, I919. I

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

q I a (Ik- Z H J i D Y 4 u V respectively.

- children.

Unite are WILLIAM L. NIoo'Ls, or TUSCUMBIA'. ALAB MA.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. NIooLs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Tu'scumbia, in the county of Colbert and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Cannon, of which the following is a specification. 1 1 This invention relates to toy cannons andhas for its chief object to utilize the catapult. principle for the projection of a ball or mise sile in combination with an agency adapted to produce a report or explosive noise simul'-- taneously with the projection of the missile. 'My preferred arrangement for producing the report or explosive noise is a pop gun which ejects a stopper or, cork simultaneously with the release of the catapult arm so that thepop gun and catapult function at the same time, but any agency that will make a report may be. enjoyed. I thus produce a toy cannon, which will produce a reportwithout being at all dangerous for use j A further feature of my invention is the arrangementof all the mechanism in a housing which may simulate'a cannon or field weapon and-which will protect the moving elements so that a child can not be injuredv thereby. 7 My invention further comprises'the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the, accompanying drawings in 'which: 1 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewshowing the parts in position preparatory'jfor releasing the catapult and exploding the pop un. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

F igs; 8and 4 are vertical sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 44 of Fig. 1

taken on I Similar reference'numerals lar parts throughout the drawings.

In the preferred embodimentof my inven- 7 tion, illustrated in the drawings, show a housing comprising a fiat base 1 with a verT tical front wall-2 joined to side 'walls 3 Specification of Letters Patent.-.

I within the housing,

refer to simi atchmen] which arecurvedalong' their rear-edges and Patented Sept. 14,1920. Application fi e'anu t-zsg 191,9, seared. 320,727, 11 r 7 covered witha bent metal bac'kwall-l which" I 'extends'from the rear edgeof the basevertically and then is bent sharplyforward at 5 and then continueson concentri'ccurve to a point near the top of the front wall 2 where it flattens outand is joinedto top "edgeiofsaidjwall. It'is, also connected to a lverticalpartition 6 parallel withthe' wall 2 and space'd itherefro'myt hepartitionand front wallhaving'llotcll'es in their top edges inf'th'e front wallreceives'jthe barrel 8, the

top o'f'which is formed by. a horizontal forj ward extension of the wall land the. sides 2 of which are formed by integraldownwardly bentside flanges 7 carried by the extension 8.

At the rear-"ends of these flanges Iplace guide plates 9, which project about an inch partition6 near its lower end is a crossfrod flO fiXed in the side walls 3 and having naled tl1ereon"'a lJ-shaped frame formed by bent'wire, the s'ide sofwhich-pas's upwardly of fthejcasing or, housing. andjarejconnected above by across arm or upper end thr h t t p handle 11. 'YThis frame near v carries "a cross arm 12,

which tis normally seated in transverse groove 13 in thetop'of the partition 6 and this cross-arm is adapted to engage the catapult'arm'l l near' its free end. 7 This catapult arm isformedjby 'a metal bar pivoted atitsf lower. :end on thefcross rod 10, which'is flattened on eac'hfside at 15 to hold the cataf pult arm tomovement in a fixed'plane. The; arm at its'free end carries-a1 ball socket -1 61 j and a latch 17 andisengaged by the trans.

verse cross arm 18', connecting "the free ends of twocoil springs 19, which are arranged to work in notch-outs 20 at, each side of the partition 6. and are. made fast at'the inner ends of their coils to p'artitio n6. The coil springsare brought under compression when 1 v the swinging frame 11 is pressed rearwar'dly anddownwardly, to permit which, the cas-f ing l' 'is formed with elongated. slotsf21 extendingifrom the top of the'back wall tto its portion 5' and as the frame 11 is thus moved down the crossmeniber 12* carries 60 for thelesca e 'ofj'the' projectile; The notch the catapult arm with it until the latter reached its full line position shown in Fig. 1, with the springs 19 under full tension when the latch 17 will automatically engage a trigger mechanism comprising a latch 22 r and trip means therefor which will be later gaging position. In front of the lower free end of the latch is a arm 25,. form1ng part of the trigger trip means pivoted near its center on a vertical pin 26, which at its lower end 13111118 11111; step bearing lnthe base 1 and at its upper end turns in a bearingin the partition 23. The other end of'this trip arm is disposed in the path of a trip pin 28 depending from the squared outer end of the reciprocable trigger 29. This'squared end of the reciprocable trigger works through squared openings in the rear wall fl'and the partition 23 at itsouterend is provided with a suitable handle or grip 30 by means of which it can be reciprocated. Atits inner end the trigger carries a plunger 31, which works in a pop gun barrel '32 that is made fast in the front wall 2 and the partition 6 and which at its outer end is adapted to receive a cork or equivalent stopper 33 that is connected by a cord or flexible element 3% to the base. The trigger also carries a pin 35 to limit its inward travel into the barrel 32.

The barrel for the ball projected by the catapult is left open below as is seen more clearly in Fig. 4; and on'its top is provided with the two sights 35.

- In operation assuming the trigger-29 to be drawn back and the catapult arm in vertical position against the partition 6, to operate the cannon the handle 11 is grasped and drawn downwardly through the slots 21 carrying with it the catapult arm until the latter is caught and held by the latch 22. A

ball or projectile is, then inserted in' the socket 16 through a slot oropening 36 in the rear wall 4 and the cork or stopper is inserted in the outer, end of the pop gun barrel 32.

I The springs 19 willbe held under substantial tension while the latch holds the catapult arm,.and as soon as the catapult arm has been caught by the latch, the frame 11 is returned to vertical position in which it is normally held by engagement with a knuckle-bearing 37 on the partition 6 which serves as a friction catch to engage the cross arm 12 on the frame 11. T0 fire the cannon,

the trigger plunger is operated, being forced inwardly, until itstrip 28 engages the trip arm 25 and pulls the latch to release the catapult arm at the same time that theplunger 31 ejects the cork or stopper with a loud report from the pop gun barrel 32. .The

catapult arm as it swings forward and up- "combination of a missile projector and a pop gun which are coordinated to function at the same time and thus to simulate the report which accompanies the projection of the ball by guns or cannons.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire. to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In atoy cannon, a catapult comprising a spring-pressed pivoted arm having means for holdmg a missile at 1ts free end, a stop to arrest said arm as it approaches vertical position, and a barrel to receive and direct the missile when projected from the catapult arm. 4

2.11s an article of manufacture, a toy comprising in combination a base, a catapult anda pop gun mounted onsaid base, latch means to hold the catapult set, a common reciprocable element carrying a plunger for the pop gun, and a trip for'the latch so related as to produce simultaneous operation thecatapult comprising a stop for the arm,

a barrel in advance of the stop through which thecatapult arm is adapted to pro 7 ject'said missile, and a trigger means. for

thecatapult, there being an opening in the housing forloading the catapult arm when enga ed by said trigger means. j g

5. in a toy, cannon, a catapult, a housing 'of 0 "Lin and cata )ult substantiall as inclosing the catapult, an armpivoted in j the. housing substantially concentric with the catapult and movable to'engage and set the catapult, trigger means to hold the catapult under tension in set position, means to hold said arm in its initial position, and a i stop for the catapult adapted to protect said arm from injury'by being struck by the catapult, there being a slot'in said housing through which-the free end of said arm projects for manual operation.

6. In a toy cannon, a housing, a catapult mounted in and protected throughout its travel'by said housing, a stop to arrest the catapult, latch means to hold the catapult 5 under tension a barrel connected to the housing in position to receive and direct the missile as it leaves the catapult after movement of the latter is arrested, and an element operable from Without the housing 7 7 and adapted to 'releasably engage and set 10 the catapult under tension.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM L. NIooLs. 

